


Workplace Habits

by staranon



Category: Funhaus (Video Blogging RPF)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-22 19:01:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13173198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/staranon/pseuds/staranon
Summary: They've been friends since college with a bond tighter than a Gordian Knot. No one understands why they just didn't hook up. Their answer would always be they didn't want things to change between them.Friends can totally kiss and not have things be weird, right?





	Workplace Habits

**Author's Note:**

> wrote this for the shiphaussecretsanta event. had a pretyt good time doing it.
> 
> nothing but fluff from me.

It was one of their regular gaming nights when Adam would bring the drinks and James would supply the food. Just the two of them, sat on James’s couch—the one he’s had since college—knocking out the competition in rounds of GTA, Halo, and what-have-you.

Regular gaming nights where they’d get closer and closer together as the couch sagged under their weight from shot springs. Where James would laugh and slap Adam on the shoulder. Where Adam would eventually hook his leg over James’s because the beer was making him feel cuddly and James would think nothing of it.

They’d always been physical with each other in a way that platonic friends just weren’t. Ever since they met in college as freshmen, roomed together as third years, and supported each other in the industry.

At social gatherings, people always asked, “Is there something between you two or . . .”

And they would reply. “Nah, we’re just friends.”

And no one really questioned it. How they would hang off one another’s shoulders at a certain point in the night, make sure each other was going to get home all right.

Close friends would comment to each of them when they were finally apart from each other.

“I don’t know why you two haven’t hooked up already, honestly. It’s like you’re married.”

And they would each shrug sheepishly.

“He just wants to be friends.”

“We just think it’s better this way. No big deal.”

They were just friends. Nothing more.

* * *

 

They worked in the same industry—video editing for entertainment companies. Not in the same company but in the same area that made it easy to grab lunch together. Frequently and often, just the two of them.

Frequently to the point where Adam’s co-workers would make _comments_ about his behaviour.

“Hello, Adam, darling.” Joel sat himself down on the empty chair next to Adam’s desk and twisted back and forth slightly. “Matt and I are going to grab lunch. Care to join?”

“Nah,” Adam said. “I’ve got plans.”

“Plans you say.”

“Yeah, plans with James probably,” Matt said from the doorway.

That seemed to pique Joel’s interest. “James? _Again?”_

“Yeah,” Matt said, unimpressed. “You know they go out for lunch, like, three days a week.”

“We’re just friends, guys,” Adam said. “Nothing to get excited about.”

“Adam, you go out for lunch three times a week with the same guy,” Joel said. “That’s _something.”_

“ _No._ It’s nothing. We’ve just been friends since college. There’s nothing to look in to.”

“We’ve been friends since college,” Matt said, and that didn’t help the situation de-escalate at all. “And we don’t go out for lunch three times a week.”

“I work with you every day.”

Matt shrugged like it was a lost cause, like everyone could see what it was between Adam and James and they just . . . couldn’t.

His phone buzzed.

_5 mins??_

“Is that your James?” Joel asked.

“He’s not—don’t you guys have somewhere to be?”

“Oh, don’t be like that, Adam. We just care about you _and_ your non-existent love life.”

“A little too much, don’t you think?” Adam quickly saved his work and stood up. “You guys go have fun. I’m going out to eat.”

“I will see that you address your pining!”

* * *

It was the end of the day and James was waiting for a video to render. Last thing before he locked up shop for the evening. To pass the time, he was annoying Adam, sending him memes, cat videos, and anything else he could think of to annoy Adam who was surely trying to finish up his own work for the week. His desk mate Lawrence happened to peer over his shoulder.

“You two have the most ridiculous mating rituals,” he said. “Is this how you get him hot under the collar? With memes from three years ago?”

James leaned away and pulled his phone closer to his chest. “You’re just jealous of the friendship I have with Adam.”

“Dude,” Lawrence said, deadpanned. “I have friends— _thank you very much._ I just don’t try to communicate to them through _memes._ You’ve achieved the equivalent of a six month relationship. And it’s going steady.”

Bruce, another of their office cohort, happened to pop his head in at that time and asked, “What’s going steady?” Then his eyes widened. “Are James and Adam finally going steady?”

James rolled his eyes and dropped his phone down on his desk. “What is it with everyone thinking Adam and I are together? Can’t we just be two insanely close friends?”

“I wouldn’t say you’re _just_ close friends,” Lawrence said.

“Yeah,” Bruce said, leaning against the office door frame. “You’re more, like, playing gay chicken until the other is forced to break the ice so you can finally admit your feelings for each other.”

“You guys look _way_ too deeply into my friendships with other people,” James said. “Don’t you have better things to do with your time?”

“Not really,” Bruce said.

“I finished my work like an hour ago.”

“Would you all like it if I started sending you blast from the past memes?”

“Oh, come on, James, you know you gotta wine and dine me first if you want to start flirting with me through memes,” Lawrence said.

“Oh, fuck off.”

* * *

 

They were at some bar, their friends come together to celebrate _something something._ Adam didn’t pay attention. Adam was too busy looking at James a few seats away further down the bar. He was laughing at something Bones was saying, several drinks in, hair starting to take on that slight wave in the humidity of the bar.

Matt slumped down beside him, knocking their shoulders and the necks of their beers together. Adam was one drink in, having decided to be the DD that night and needed to keep a clear head about him.

“So,” Matt said.

“So what?”

“Have you ever talked to him about it?”

Adam knew what this was about and decided not to play along. “Don’t know what you’re talking about, Peake.” He lifted his bottle to his lips even though he knew it was practically empty.

“You can’t just go about each other like this anymore. Even I’m hoping for something to happen. You’d be good for each other.”

“Sure,” Adam said, still trying to be as non-confrontational as possible.

“Hey, I’m just saying,” Matt said. “Just offering some advice.”

And Adam wanted to say something a bit biting after that, but he couldn’t. Matt was just looking after him, and he knew. He knew how much Adam . . . _appreciated_ James. How they met in college and were just always there for each other. He knew better than anyone and was just keeping an eye out on Adam’s emotional health. He should feel comforted by the fact. And he did, somewhat. But continued to watch James drink across the bar, occasionally throwing a look at him just to make sure he was always there. Something they always did for each other.

* * *

 

It was Adam who took James home that night. James who had a few too many and was clearly wanting to cross the threshold separating friends from couples.

“You know, everyone just wants us to kiss, right?” he said as he and Adam walked up to his apartment.

“Oh, I know. The guys at work won’t stop pestering me about it.”

“You know what would serve them right?”

“Keys.”

“Right. Right.” James fished out his keys and passed them off. “You know—know what would serve them right?”

“Mm? And what’s that?”

“If we kissed. If we kissed and just showed everybody that two friends can totally kiss and just not have it be weird, you know?”

“Mmhm.”

The door to the apartment was opened, and Adam pulled James inside. “Is it all right if I crash here? I’m way too tired to make it home.”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, sure. Knock yourself out.”

Adam closed the door, and James came to him, leaned against him heavily, hands on his chest. “We should just kiss right now. Get this tension sorted out.”

Adam huffed a laugh, set his hands on James’s biceps. “You think that’s wise?”

“Pfft. Of course. Don’t you trust me, Kovic?”

“Kisses can change things.”

“But they won’t between us. We’re like rocks, you and I. So come on. Pucker up.” James pressed in, and Adam turned his head before the last second. James pressed his lips to his cheek anyway.

“Not now,” Adam said softly. “Not while you’re drunk.”

“You are a true gentlemen.”

“Come on. Time for bed.”

* * *

 

Adam woke to the smell of coffee and a gentle touch to the shoulder. He jerked awake but calmed when he saw James. He rolled out onto his back, raised one hand to shield his eyes as he stretched. “What time is it?”

“Late, who the fuck knows. Coffee?”

Adam nodded and pulled his hand away from his eyes, taking the hot mug in hand and leaning over on an elbow to drink it. James walked over to the other side of the couch and motioned at Adam to tuck his legs in, threw in a few nonverbal grunts until he sat down—well, more like sprawled on the other half of the couch until their legs were too tangled for them to do anything about it.

Adam wondered if James remembered. If he was at all clear headed last night when he backed Adam up against the door. Said they should kiss. Judging from the way James was looking at him, it was clear that he remembered. But did he feel guilty? Did he feel like he crossed a line? Because Adam would love to cross that line. Again and again until that line didn’t matter between them. Like it never existed.

“Did you mean what you said last night?” he asked.

“Said what?” James asked and Adam didn’t know if he was being intentionally coy or not.

“You know,” Adam said, because how could James not? It hadn’t been the first time when they bumped together when drunk. They’d kissed before. Never with the both of them sober. Never in the presence of others because . . . because . . .

Why hadn’t they discussed this before?

Was this really what Bruce had dubbed as their gay chicken phase?

“Have you ever thought about dating? The two of us?”

“Oh. I was gonna say. I’ve dated before, Adam, _please.”_

It had Adam smiling at least.

“But I’m good with whatever you want,” James said more seriously this time.

Adam was suddenly aware of how they were laying together, skin on skin as their legs touched, Adam stripped down to his briefs because sleeping in denim was uncomfortable. Nothing really arousing about it. But just. Comfortable. Intimate. As it had always been between them.

So James moved first, pulling his legs in, sitting up a bit more and Adam soon followed. “We can try,” he said. “It’s not like we haven’t done this before.”

“We haven’t done it sober,” Adam pointed out.

“Semantics,” James said, tilted his head and leaned forward. He raised a hand, steadied himself by setting it first on Adam’s shoulder, then his neck when their lips finally met.

As first non-drunk kisses go, it could’ve been better. Adam could’ve brushed his teeth, but James had, smelling and tasting of mint. Of coffee.

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t the most glamorous kiss in the world, but it was slow. Exploratory. Sensuous. And soon Adam found himself being pressed back onto the couch, laying down as James held himself up, slotting their lips together, moving in sync as they had been for years.

It was so easy, so right, so natural.

And when they finally parted, both flushed, the question came up, “Did that change anything for you?”

“If anything, I just think this means we’re officially going steady.”

A laugh. “When haven’t we?”

And then it was back to kissing, nothing more to their sleepy and slow start to the day. They brought up their hands, twisting into the fabric of their shirts, into their hair, already mussed from slip. Lips smarting and swollen, breath growing ragged. And oh, it felt so good to be this way. And to think, they could share a thousand more and it would be like this. It would always be like this.

“You think anyone will notice if we just don’t tell them?” Adam asked.

“Let’s see how long we can drag this out,” James said. “Have a little fun at their expense.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Adam cupped his cheek, kissed him one more and thought why hadn’t they done this sooner?


End file.
